Method of making philatelic mounts and the like



Oct. 4, 1966 c. T. HATHAWAY 3,276,934

METHOD OF MAKING PHILATELIC MOUNTS AND THE LIKE Filed June 22, 1965 2 Sheets$heet 1 INVENTOR. Czar/ex 7 fiz/fiawaq BY 6' 744A admin/f Oct. 4, 1966 Filed June 22, 1965 C. T. HATHAWAY METHOD OF MAKING PHILATELIC MOUNTS AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Clark: 7 Hal fa way BY MW 5 7,2441

adorns/f United States Patent Office Patented Oct. 4, 1966 3,276,934 METHOD OF MAKING PHILATELIC MOUNTS AND THE LIKE Charles T. Hathaway, 124 N. Darfield Ave., Covina, Calif. Filed June 22, 1965, Ser. No. 466,013 8 Claims. (Cl. 156288) This is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Serial No. 61,295, filed October 7, 1960, now US. Patent No. 3,217,438, and relates to the manufacture of protectors for stamps and the like.

There are presently available stamp mounts of the type having a backing sheet with a superimposed transparent cover sheet secure-d to one of the marginal edges of the backing sheet. The undersurface of the backing sheet is provided with an adhesive coating for applying the mounts to the pages of albums. Since the cover and backing sheets are joined together along only one edge, the stamps are not held securely in place and have a tendency to become displaced.

While there are also available other types of mounts which are not subject to the above objection, they are generally marketed in a large variety of predimensioned sizes adapted to receive various size stamps and block arrangements. Collectors must thus purchase a large number of difierent size mounts.

The principal object of this invention is to provide an effective and economical method for the manufacture of multi-sheet protectors for items, such as stamps, identification cards, photos and the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved method of manufacturing stamp mount sheets which may be used to obtain a plurality of independent mounts of superior stamp retaining capabilities. The constructional features of the mounting sheets are characterized by a high degree of stability whereby the individual collector may tailor each mount according to the size, number and block arrangement of the stamps to be mounted in his album.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatical view showing steps in the process of making stamp mounts embodying the invention;

FIGS. 2-4 are perspective views showing further steps in the process of making stamp mounts and embodying the invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a stack of stamp mount sheets produced by the process shown in FIGS. 1-4;

FIG. 6 is a partial cross sectional view on a greatly enlarged scale of one of the stamp mount sheets manufactured in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 7 illustrates a stamp mount obtained from one of the sheets such as shown in FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 shows an alternative type of mount embodying the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawings, in FIG. 1 is shown diagrammatically a sheeting device of the type which may be used for superimposing a web 10 of flexible transparent sheet material on a web 12 of backing material such as paper, cardboard and the like. The webs 10 and 12 are preferably identically dimensioned and their edges are disposed in registered relation. The transparent sheet material may be synethetic plastic such as suitable cellulose acetates, including triacetates and acetate butyrates, cellophane, oriented polystyrene film and the like. The backing material may be any fibrous sheet material of generally absorbent character which is essentially insoluble in conventional solvents. Kraft paper is one example of a suitable fibrous material which may be used. The paper may have a vgllm backing 14 (FIG. 6), which is usually Water soluble but substantially insoluble in other conventional solvents. The adhesive backing on the paper may be a continuous cast coating or preferably in the form of microscopic particles providing a so-called flat gum-med paper. The flat gummed paper eliminates the tendency of curling, which is a troublesome problem in handling adhesive backed sheet material.

The webs 10 and 12 are drawn from their respective rolls by some suitable means such as rollers 13 and disposed in superposed relation. As shown, the web 10 is disposed on the adhesive-free surface of the paper. The two webs are cut longitudinally into a plurality of strips such as indicated at 15 in FIG. 1. The strips are stacked with their edges in registered relation and cut to desired sheet size to provide stacks such as shown at 16, in FIG. 2. The stack comprises at least one sheet 10 of transparent plastic disposed between the adjacent adhesive and adhesive-free sides of adjacent sheets of paper 12.

After stacking, the sheets are clamped or pressed together by suitable means such as plates 22 and clamp 24, shown in FIG. 3. The clamp is tightened sufiiciently to press the sheets together in tight surface-to-surface contact to inhibit entry of fiuid therebetween.

While in this clamped condition, the stack is introduced into a suitable solvent. As shown in FIG. 4, the stack is wholly dipped or immersed in a liquid 26 contained in a suitable reservoir or tank 28. The liquid 26 is essentially a non-aqueous solvent in which the plastic sheet material 10 is sufficiently soluble to be softened, but in which the adhesive backing on the paper is substantially insoluble. While the solvent shown is a liquid, it is to be understood that a solvent in vaporous or gaseous state could also be used.

Acetone is an illustrative example of one such solvent which may be used when the plastic cover sheets are cellulose acetate and the backing sheets are Kraft paper having a water soluble adhesive backing essentially insoluble in acetone. An example of a suitable solvent for cellophane is ethyleneglycolrnonomethyl ether. Benzene, toluene or chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents also produce suitable results where oriented polystyrene film is use-d as the cover material.

The clamped stacks of backing and cover sheets are immersed in the solvent 26 for a predetermined length of time to allow limited penetration by the solvent of the marginal edges of the fibrous material. Using acetone as a solvent with kraft paper backing sheets and acetate cover sheets, an immersion time on the order of one second has been found to produce suitable penetration. The outer marginal edge portions of the plastic are softened sufficiently by the penetrating solvent to enable the fibers of the adhesive-free marginal edge portions of the backing material to become imbedded in the plastic forming a plastic-fiber composite. The adhesive backing surface acts as an effective barrier to the solvent-softened cellulose aoetate, and thus prevents bonding of the edges of the acetate sheets to the backs of the superimposed fibrous sheets. After removal of the stacks from the tank 28, the solvent evaporates causing setting or hardening of the plastic which provides a mechanical bond or seal between the marginal edges of the paper and plastic cover sheets. Using acetate sheets and acetone as a solvent, it has been found that dipping the stacks for about one second results in a penetration of about and insures a good bond of the plastic and fibrous sheets.

-The end product of this process consists of stacks of sheets or blanks 30 such as shown in FIG. 5. Each sheet 9 a comprises a fibrous backing sheet 12 and a plastic cover sheet 10 overlying the adhesive-free surface of the sheet 12 and sealed or bonded as at 32 to the marginal edges of the paper around the entire periphery. thereof.

Since the adhesive coating 14 on the back of the fibrous sheets is essentially insoluble in the solvent 26, it provides a barrier which prevents absorption of the softened plastic of the sheets disposed on the underside of the backing sheets. As a result, each of the blanks 30 may be readily separated from the stack. The ease of separation is further aided by the fact that the plastic sheets do not adhere to the gum backing of the paper even if the adhesive had been activated by the solvent.

It will thus be apparent to one skilled in the art that in place of the adhesive or gum backing 14, one side of the fibrous sheets might be suitably coated, at least around the peripheral edges thereof, with some other type of barrier material, such as a polyethylene or mineral coating. In this .way, alternate fibrous and cellulose acetate sheets may be bonded together in the manner disclosed around only the edges thereof, with the polyethylene or,

mineral coating on the side serving as a barrier to the penetration of the solvent-softened cellulose acetate. Items made by this process have wide utility for various purposes, including mounts, protectors or carriers for cards, stamps, photos and the like.

The protective carrier or mounts embodying this invention are preferably marketed in pad or pack form. Accordingly, after removal from the solventthe stacks may be divided into a number of pads of convenient size for packaging and sale. Among the advantages of marketing the mounting sheets in pad form is reduction in the tendency of the mounts curling as a result of varying humidity conditions.

In using the mount blanks or sheets, shown in FIG. 5, a stamp collector may cut out corner portions of the blank to any desired size and configuration to obtain mounts tailored for the stamp or stamps to be mounted. The mounts may then be pasted in the album by using the gum provided on the back of the paper sheets. It will be apparent that each of the mounting sheets provides as many as four separate and distinct corner mounts of the type shown in FIG. 7. Each of the mounts has two adjacent sealed edges 32 which, as shown in FIGS.'7 and 8, may be disposed in upright and horizontal directions on the pages of an album. This corner seal arrangement insures a firm grip on the two corresponding edges of a stamp or block of stamps and reduces the likelihood of stamps slipping from the mounts. In addition, since each mount has two open or unsealed edges, the. danger of damage from differential expansion and contraction of the stamp and mount is substantially eliminated. Moreover, this arrangement provides a mount having relatively large openings which facilitates insertion and removal of stamps for any desired reason. Another advantage of the mounts is the border provided by the edge seals 32 which frames the stamps and sets them out from the pages of the album. While it may be preferable to cut the mounting sheets so as to form corner type mounts, such as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the versatility of the sheets also enables cutting to form mounts sealed along one or three edges.

Utilizing mounts of the type embodying this invention, a collector is able to mountain sizes of stamps or blocks with a minimum of waste by using only three basic sizes of sheets of the type shown in FIGS. and 6. Small sheets, such as 2 /2 x 3 will provide from one to as many as four individual corner mounts for small blocks or single stamps. Large sheets, such as 7 /2 x /2 will provide from one to as many as four individual mounts for relatively large blocks and souvenir'sheets, and medium size sheets, such as 5 x 7, may be similarly used for mounting intermediate size blocks and plate blocks. The selection of a given size sheet will be determined by the number and arrangement of stamps to be mounted which results in minimum waste.

An alternative form of stamp mount is shown in FIG. 8. The mount comprises a backing sheet 12 of the type described above and two transparent plastic sheets 34 and 36 sealed to adjacent edges of the backing sheet as at 38. The process of making mounts of this type is the same as described above, except instead of one sheet of transparent plastic material, two identical sheets are used. The stamp or stamps are inserted between the two plastic sheets the inner plastic sheet preventing the adhesive on the back of the stamp from contacting the backing paper. Mounts of this type afiord protection against stamp damage resulting from stamps becoming. stuck to the backing paper, such as in humid Weather when the water soluble stamp, adhesive may. be activated.

Having thus described this invention what is claimed is:

1. Method of making mounting sheets comprising interleaving sheets of transparent, synthetic plastic material with similarly shaped sheets of absorbent adhesive backed material to form stacks of said sheets, the adhesive and adhesive-free sides of said absorbent sheets being adja-' cent, at least one sheet of-plastic being disposed between the adjacent sides of said sheets, clamping said stacks to hold said sheets'in tight surface-to-surface contact to inhibit entry of fluid therebetween, and introducingsaid stacks while in a clamped condition into a solvent in which said plastic material is soluble and in which said adhesive is substantially insoluble for .sufli'cient time for said solvent to penetrate the edges of the absorbent sheets and soften the contiguous edge portions of said plastic sheets, to effect a mechanical bond of the marginal edges of said plastic and absorbent sheets.

2. Method of making mounting sheets as. set forth'in claim 1 in which said synthetic plastic material is cellulose acetate and in which said solvent is acetone.

3. Method of making mounting sheets as set forth in claim 1 in which said synthetic plastic material is oriented polystyrene film.

4. Method of making mounting sheets as set forth in claim 1 in which one sheet of plastic material is disposed between adjacent sheets of said absorbent material.

5. Method of making mounting sheets as set forth in claim 1 in which two sheets of synthetic plastic material are disposed between adjacent sheets of said absorbent material.

6. Method of making mounting sheetscomprising forming stacks including sheets of transparent synthetic plastic material and similarly shaped sheets of adhesive backed fibrous material with the adhesive and adhesive-free sides of the fibrous sheets being adjacent, at least one sheet of plastic being disposed between adjacent fibrous sheets, clamping said stacks to hold said sheets in tight surfaceto-surface contact, introducing the clamped stacks into a solvent, in which said plastic material is sufiiciently soluble to soften and in which said adhesive is substantially insoluble, for a sufiicient time to enable said solvent to penetrate the edges of said fibrous sheets and soften the marginal edge portions of said plastic sheets, removing said stacks from said solvent and allowing them to dry while in a clamped condition to effect a mechanical bond of the marginal edge portions of said plastic sheets and the adhesive-free marginal edge portions of said fibrous sheets. 7 I

7. Method of making carriers for sheet type articles, such as stamps and the like comprising forming stacks of transparent synthetic plastic sheets interleaved with similarly shaped fibrous sheets, said fibrous material having on one side a coating which will not bond with the solvent softened synthetic plastic, said coating being. disposed at least around the edges of said sheet, clamping said stacks to hold the sheets in tight surface-to-surface contact to inhibit entry of fluid therebetween, introducing said stacks while in a clamped condition into a solvent for said synthetic plastic for sufficient time for the solvent to penetrate the edges of the fibrous sheets and soften the contiguous edge portions of said synthetic plastic sheets to eflFect a mechanical bond of the peripheral edges of the synthetic plastic sheets to the fibrous sheets when said solvent is evaporated, said material on the one side of the sheet serving as a barrier for penetration of solvent softened synthetic plastic.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED 8. Method as set forth in claim 7 in which said plastic 10 EARL BERGBRT Primary Examiner J. P. MELOCHE, Assistant Examiner.

is cellulose acetate and said solvent is acetone. 

1. METHOD OF MAKING MOUNTING SHEETS COMPRISING INTERLEAVING SHEETS OF TRANSPARENT, SYNTHETIC PLASTIC MATERIAL WITH SIMILARLY SHAPED SHEETS OF ABSORBENT ADHESIVE BACKED MATERIAL TO FORM STACKS OF SAID SHEETS, THE ADHESIVE AND ADHESIVE-FREE SIDES OF SAID ABSORBENT SHEETS BEING ADJACENT, AT LEAST ONE SHEET OF PLASTIC BEING DISPOSED BETWEEN THE ADJACENT SIDES OF SAID SHEETS, CLAMPING SAUD STACKS TO HOLD SAID SHEETS IN TIGHT SURFACE-TO-SURFACE CONTACT TO INHIBIT ENTRY OF FLUID THEREBETWEEN, AND INTRODUCING SAID STACKS WHILE IN A CLAMPED CONDITION INTO A SOLVENT IN WHICH SAID PLASTIC MATERIAL IS SOLUBLE AND IN WITH SAID ADHESIVE IS SUBSTANTIALLY INSOLUBLE FOR SUFFICIENT TIME FOR SAID SOLVENT TO PENETRATE THE EDGES OF THE ABSORBENT SHEETS AND SOFTEN THE CONTIGUOUS EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID PLASTIC SHEETS, TO EFFECT A MECHANICAL BOND OF THE MARGINAL EDGES OF SAID PLASTIC AND ABSORBENT SHEETS. 